A Critique of the Valkyries as an Exploration into the Unknown

Abstract

It is believed that union with or absorption into the Deity or the spiritual apprehension of knowledge inaccessible to the intellect may be attained through contemplation and self-surrender. This is, in other words, termed as Mysticism. The Alchemist famed Paulo Coelho, having went on a pilgrimage to Saint James of Compostella, has documented his experience of his encounter with darkness, his search for the light, and the seeking of his personal angel in his novel The Valkyries. This book is journey of faith, of trust, of forgiveness, of love, of self-discovery, and of battling the darkness within ourselves and wanting to change. This paper attempts to show how the author has depicted the protagonist’s inner transformation led him to comprehend his unknown angel.

“And an angel descended where they were and the glory of the lord shone all about them” (Luke 2:9). Thus begins the novel The Valkyries which not only gives a clue but also a mystical insight into the novel. In this age of angel sightings, angel occurrences are happening with intense frequency. This is The Alchemist famed Paulo Coelho’s astonishing true story of his encounter with darkness, his search for the light and the seeking of his personal angel (Scribbles of Soul). It is as if God is sending his messengers with a message and that message is love. The novel The Valkyries is autobiographical but narrated from the third person point of view.